Orange County Museum of Art facts for kids
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The museum in 2022, during its grand opening
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| Established | 1962 (as Balboa Pavilion Gallery) 1968 (as Newport Art Museum) 1996 (as OCMA) |
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| Location | 3333 Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa, California 92626 |
| Type | Contemporary art museum |
| Architect | Thom Mayne |
The Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) is a fun and exciting place to explore modern and contemporary art. It's located in Costa Mesa, California, right on the campus of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The museum has a huge collection of over 4,500 art pieces. Most of these artworks focus on art from California and the Pacific Rim, showing art from the early 1900s all the way to today. You can see traditional paintings, sculptures, and photographs, plus newer types of art like videos, digital art, and special installations.
Contents
The Museum's Story
How OCMA Began (1962–1968)
The museum started way back in 1962. It was first called the Fine Arts Patrons Pavilion Gallery. Thirteen amazing women founded it at the Balboa Pavilion. They rented a space on the second floor to show modern and contemporary art. One of the founders, Betty Winckler, was the president until 1968. That's when the gallery changed its name and hired professional staff to help it grow.
Growing as Newport Harbor Art Museum (1968–1996)
By 1968, the museum became known as the Newport Harbor Art Museum. It moved to a bigger spot on the Balboa Peninsula in 1972. Then, in 1977, it opened a new, even larger building in Newport Beach. This building had about 2,137 square meters (23,000 square feet) of space, with 717 square meters (7,714 square feet) just for showing art!
In 1981, a young curator named Paul Schimmel became the chief curator. He was only 27, the youngest in the museum's history. He helped the museum focus on modern art from California. He brought in works by famous artists like John Baldessari, Chris Burden, and James Turrell.
The museum earned special recognition in 1982 from the American Association of Museums. By 1983, its art collection was worth $2 million, and it had 4,500 members. About 65,000 people visited each year. In 1985, the Irvine Company donated $1 million to help fund big art shows at the museum for ten years.
There were plans for a new, even bigger building in the late 1980s. Famous architects like Renzo Piano and Kohn Pedersen Fox were involved in designing it. However, raising enough money for the new building was difficult, and the plans didn't work out at that time.
Becoming the Orange County Museum of Art (1996–Today)
After many talks, the Newport Harbor Art Museum merged with the Laguna Art Museum in July 1996. The new combined museum was named the Orange County Museum of Art. However, this merger only lasted nine months. In April 1997, OCMA returned the Laguna Art Museum site. The art collections from both museums were kept safe together, and both museums could use them for exhibitions. OCMA was in charge of storing and insuring all the art.
After the merger ended, the new director, Naomi Vine, helped expand OCMA. The museum's size more than doubled, with 1,468 square meters (15,800 square feet) of gallery space. They also added art studios, a classroom, an auditorium, and a larger storage area for the art.
In 2008, OCMA announced plans to move from its Newport Center home to a new spot on Avenue of the Arts. Thom Mayne was chosen to design the new building.
Temporary Home
While the new building was being constructed, OCMA opened a temporary space in a former furniture store. This temporary home, called OCMA Expand Santa Ana, opened on October 3, 2018. It had about 2,880 square meters (31,000 square feet) of total space, with 1,950 square meters (21,000 square feet) for exhibitions. The museum held exhibition seasons lasting about six months each there.
The museum temporarily closed on March 14, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It closed again on November 16, 2020, during a "second wave" of the virus in Orange County.
The New Building
On May 31, 2018, officials showed off the design for the museum's new building at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The old Newport Beach site was sold on May 15, 2018. Construction for the new three-story building began in September 2019, and it was planned to open in 2022. The main structure was completed on October 6, 2020.
On October 8, 2022, OCMA officially opened its doors to the public with a special 24-hour Grand Opening! The new building, designed by Thom Mayne and Morphosis, cost $93 million. It has cool curving terracotta panels that make it look unique. With almost 2,322 square meters (25,000 square feet) of flexible exhibition galleries, the new 4,830 square meter (52,000 square foot) museum can host big special shows and display its collection in spacious ways. It also has an extra 929 square meters (10,000 square feet) for educational programs, performances, and public events. There are also offices, a gift shop, and a café.
In June 2025, OCMA and the University of California, Irvine signed an agreement to explore the idea of the museum joining the university. If approved, OCMA would become part of UC Irvine’s Langson Institute and Museum of California Art.
Amazing Art Exhibitions
The Orange County Museum of Art has put on many exciting exhibitions of modern art. These include the first big shows for artists like Vija Celmins (in 1980) and Chris Burden (in 1988). They've also featured major works by Bill Viola (1997) and Catherine Opie (2006).
The museum has also organized shows about modern art and design from earlier times. Some examples include Edvard Munch: Expressionist Paintings, 1900-1940 (1983) and Picasso to Pollock: Modern Masterpieces from the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art (2004).
In 1984, the museum started the California Biennial, a show that focused on new and upcoming artists in California. In 2013, this show changed into the California-Pacific Triennial. This is a special exhibition that focuses on modern art from countries around the Pacific Ocean. OCMA has also worked with other museums to create exhibitions that have traveled to many places in the United States and Europe.
When the new building opened in 2022, it featured exciting first exhibitions. These included a new California Biennial show called California Biennial 2022: Pacific Gold, a show by Fred Eversley, and 13 Women, which honored the museum's original founders.
The Art Collection
The museum's main collection focuses on art from California. It highlights different art styles like Early and Mid-Century Modernism, Pop Art, and Installation Art. You can see important works by artists such as John Baldessari, Richard Diebenkorn, Robert Irwin, and Edward Ruscha.
The museum is also growing its collection of international art. This includes works by artists like Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Lee Bul, and Christian Marclay.
For the opening of its new building in 2022, the museum asked artist Sanford Biggers to create a large artwork called Of many waters … (2022). This huge sculpture, made of steel and aluminum, is 7.3 meters (24 feet) wide and 4.9 meters (16 feet) tall. It's an interactive piece with benches on the back where visitors can sit. It's installed on the museum's outdoor sculpture terrace.
Museum Leadership
Directors of OCMA
Over the years, many talented people have led the museum. Here are some of the directors:
- 1968–1972: Thomas H. Garver
- 1972–1974: James Byrnes
- 1976–1977: Harvey West
- 1977–1980: Thomas H. Garver
- 1980–1983: Cathleen Gallander
- 1983–1989: Kevin E. Consey
- 1991–1997: Michael Botwinick
- 1997–2001: Naomi Vine
- 2001–2002: Elizabeth Armstrong
- 2003–2013: Dennis Szakacs
- 2014: Dan Cameron
- 2014–2021: Todd DeShields Smith
- 2021–present: Heidi Zuckerman
Museum Funding
The museum's yearly budget helps it operate and put on amazing shows. In 2022, Lugano Diamonds, a company from Newport Beach, generously donated $2.5 million. This donation allows OCMA to offer free admission to everyone for ten years!
